Chattanooga Engineers Club Newsletter

www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org

 

NEXT MEETING ____________________

Monday June 28- Chris M. Finen, P.E., Eaton Corporation

“Arc-Fault Circuit Interrupters to Improve Home Safety”

Home electrical fires account for an estimated 53,000 fires each year, causing more than 500 deaths, 1400 injuries, and $1.4 billion in property damage.  Arc Fault Circuit Interrupter (AFCI) devices represent a significant technology innovation, which can drastically reduce the number of electrical fires.  Unlike traditional fuses and circuit breakers, AFCIs can detect and protect against low-current, low-power arcs that can still ignite fires.  The National Fire Protection Association has recognized the safety contribution of AFCI's and has included them as a requirement in the National Electric Code (NEC) since 2002.  Mr. Finen will discuss how AFCI's work, and how they are applied.

 

Chris M. Finen, P.E. is an Application Engineer for Eaton Corporation in Nashville, TN.  A graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Chris has made technical presentations on various subjects including circuit protection, selective coordination, arc flash safety, power quality, motor control, and electrical reliability.  He is active with IEEE, the Music City Power Quality Group, and the NFPA.  Chris is a licensed professional engineer in the state of Tennessee.

 

FUTURE MEETINGS ____________________

Monday July 5 – No Meeting – in Observance of Independence Day (July 4)

 

Monday July 12 –  Jim Henry – UTC

“Remote Control Software for Experiments on the International Space Station”

 

Monday July 19 – Scott McKenzie – March Adams

“Butane Blending Project”

 

Monday July 26 – TBD

 

Monday August  2 – Dan Ingersoll – Oak Ridge National Lab

“Small Modular Reactors in the Second Nuclear Era”.

 

Monday August  9 – Leon Tolbert – Oak Ridge National Lab

“Power Electronics for Hybrid Electric Vehicles”

 

PREVIOUS MEETING____________________

Monday June 21 – Larry Cole – TVA Integrated Resource Plan Project Team Manager 

“Planning for the Tennessee Valley’s Environmental and Energy Future.”

After a brief overview of TVA’s Congressional mission to provide navigation, flood control, reforestation, agricultural development, and support for national defense, consistent with the generation of electricity, Larry Cole discussed TVA’s long term planning process.  The Integrated Resource Plan with its 20 year planning horizon must balance the demand for power with its supply under a number of constraints.  In addition to traditional power plants, the plan will also consider alternatives such as renewable generation and energy efficiency programs. 

 

A six step planning process was outlined: 1. scope; 2. develop inputs and framework; 3. analyze and evaluate; 4. present initial results; 5. incorporate input; and 6. identify preferred plan.  TVA expects to release a draft Integrated Resource Plan for public comment this fall (step 4) with future public meetings planned for Knoxville TN, Huntsville AL, and Bowling Green KY to solicit public input.  After considering public comments received, a completed plan will be prepared for consideration by the TVA Board of Directors in the spring of 2011.   See www.tva.gov/irp for plan details, schedules, and status.

 

Larry fielded questions from solar energy to nuclear plant construction explaining how the Integrated Resource Plan incorporates these effects and rates possible impacts on strategies.

 

CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB — CORPORATE SPONSORS_____________

We gratefully acknowledge the corporate sponsorships listed below. 

2010 — Robbins & Bohr, LLC

2009 — Coca—Cola 

2008 — Alstom

2008 — Chattanooga State

 

MEETING LOGISTICS_______________________

The Chattanooga Engineer's Club meets at the DOUBLETREE HOTEL,
407 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, TN 37402.  Free parking may be available in the gated parking lot on the south side of the Hotel.  Plan to arrive before 11:30 a.m., if you intend to park in the limited space available.  Late arrivals may need to pay for parking on the street or in a nearby public parking garage.

 

Employment Opportunities

Advanced Energy Engineering & Design, Inc. (www.aeedinc.com) currently has openings for two Professional Engineers; one Mechanical Engineer and one Electrical Engineer.  Contact Brittany L. Scott at 423-752-3438 ext. 123,  or email brittany.scott@aeedinc.com

 

 

QUESTIONS and SUGGESTIONS______________

If you have any questions, items that would be of interest to the Chattanooga Engineers Club, or suggestions for future programs, please contact Ralph Boroughs by e-mail at rdboroughs@gmail.com or by phone at 423-227-0412. You can find membership application forms, references to future programs, historical data, and other info at: http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org. To receive future meeting announcements by email, join the Chattanooga Technology Organization mailing list at: http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/email.

Links to local engineering societies are available to you at: http://www.chattanoogaengineersclub.org/engineer/

For a calendar of local technology related events see: http://chatc.org/

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